1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to wet shaving devices, and more specifically to shaving systems that incorporate a gas-generating electrochemical cell adapted to cause a shaving aid material to be dispensed during a normal shaving operation.
2. Background Information
Many modern shaving systems include a razor holder that can be a tray or a wall hanger to permit a user to conveniently store a safety razor when not in use. The safety razor typically includes a razor cartridge adapted to be permanently or selectively movably connected to a handle. The cartridge can be adapted for shaving in a single direction or multiple directions, most usually bi-directionally, i.e. in to and fro directions. The cartridge comprises a housing having at least one razor blade with a sharpened cutting edge disposed therein. The cutting edge can be rectilinear or the razor blade can comprise a foil having a plurality of apertures having cutting edges extending at least partially around perimeter thereof.
There have been many proposals to provide a safety razor with a dispensing system for delivering to the skin during shaving a shaving aid material, such as shave foam, shave cream or other lubricating fluid, or skin care materials that cleanse or otherwise care for the skin. The material is stored within a reservoir ready for use. The stored material can replace a customary shaving preparation or can be used in addition thereto. U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,754 to Bressler et al discloses a safety razor that includes a reservoir for storing a shaving aid material and a valve that can be actuated by movement of the razor cartridge between a first position and a second position during a normal shaving operation. The fluid in the reservoir has a pressure differential provided for example by a compression spring acting on a piston. The pressure differential provides the motive force to deliver the fluid to the user's skin surface when the valve is open. U.S. Pat. No. 7,043,841 to Franzini et al and U.S. Patent application publication 2005/0138814 disclose further devices having differentially pressurized fluid reservoirs and further configurations of valves.
Several U.S. Patents to Joshi and Joshi et al including U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,870 disclose devices for dispensing a fluid by a pressure differential provided by an electrochemical gas-generating cell. The '870 patent discloses continuous flow at rates 0.03-2.7 ml per day. For many typical wet shaves (for a male user) it is desirous for about 12 ml or more of some particular shaving aid materials to be dispensed for each shave. Each shave is typically performed over a finite time period of several minutes only.